GTX-758 -- have you heard of this?

nhwife,

Thanks for the post -- I had forgotten that your husband was on Zytiga. When Marshall isn't doing well, my focus goes inward and the rest of the world kind of disappears. Not sure how to explain that. We will get to compare notes on this drug. Does your insurance pay for it? Our oncologist got us a little concerned because he says his patients have been having trouble getting it approved by their insurance. We are on Medicare and we have a supplemental insurance through the post office (where Marshall worked for 20 years). I am hoping we don't have any trouble getting it covered, but Dr. Flaig is going to have the hospital's financial department make some calls today to see where we stand. I understand it's $5,000 a month.

And how does your husband do on the prednisone that you have to take with it? The last time Marshall took Prednisone (which is when he was in the hospital and diagnosed last March) he got very very sick.

Marilyn

Marilyn, this is tough news for you. It's hard for me to believe in this day and age that insurance can do that. We get the zytiga through my insurance and it's very good. i think it's 30 or 50 copay a month. We are lucky.
My husband has had no problem with the prednisone. He has been on the zytiga now almost a month and a half. We won't know until next month how he is doing. We could find out the PSA result done earlier this week but I don't know. It is just a number and I am trying to remember that it is but just one factor. And that he needs to be on the zytiga more than 3 months which is what he had last time. So maybe ignorance is bliss.
But back to you, I wish I could help! Someone surely can. I know someeone from our insurance company calls my husband monthly to see how he is doing and if there have been any difficulties. She was the one last year who found out the zytiga was available. Is there anyone lke that for you? She's kind of an advocate.
Best to you and Marshall. More later, I am sure.

Marilyn & Marshall,
I wish you the best! I don't know how to do this, but I am amazed by the knowledgeable people on this forum trying to help you..Kudos to them all.
Best Wishes,
Bill

Allen,

Marshall's primary insurance is Medicare. Do you think appealing a Medicare denial might be worth it?

I forgot that Marshall has battled the VA for 30 years and his motto has always been appeal-appeal-appeal and in almost every single instance, on the third appeal he would win. He made it a hobby to fight the VA and he helped a lot of other men do the same. But I wasn't sure if that approach would work for Medicare. And this time it will be me doing the appealing because Marshall just doesn't have it in him. He's been in a big funk for several weeks now and the medication he is taking for pain is making him sometimes incoherent. His brain is fuzzy.

Thanks so much for the support. I hope tomorrow brings some better news. :)
Marilyn

Allen,

Our oncologist wants Marshall to talk to the VA to see if they will help pay for the Zytiga. And since the VA awarded Marshall 100% disability because of the prostate cancer being Agent Orange related, you would think they would pay. But Marshall is afraid that as a condition of paying for the treatment they might want him to switch over to a VA oncologist and he refuses to do that.

But he will probably try once he gets a clear mind again. If he gets anywhere, I'll let you know. And thanks for the Medicare link! You are helping to calm me down a bit.

Marilyn

Hello everyone!  Finally some upbeat news to report.  Our oncologist's office just called to say that they found a pharmacy -- Accredo -- that has approved us for the Zytiga with a copay of approximately $200 a month.  We sure are feeling a bit better today than we were yesterday.

They went over all of the possible side effects and the prednisone instructions, etc., and we should have the Zytiga by Monday or Tuesday.

This is such a small thing, but it has just made my day.

I will post our progress.  THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!!!

Marilyn

Raddad,

Believe me, if Marshall starts feeling good enough to back off of the painkillers a little bit and has a little bit more energy, he LOVES to fight the VA. We have a sign hanging in our living room with a quote from Theodore Roosevelt: "If a man is good enough to shed his blood for our country, he is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards." That says it all.

On another note, though, I see that you are on (or have been on) Zometa. Do you have any bad effects from the Zometa? Our oncologist is puzzled by the bone pain Marshall is having throughout his body he can't find any real reason for. I've seen a few posts where men had bone pain on Xgeva but the pain went away when they switched to Zometa. I ran that school of thought by our oncologist and he said he likes to avoid Zometa because it is so toxic. Do you have any comments or opinions on Zometa as opposed to Xgeva?

Bud,
That guy that is under the care of a non-VA hospital for Pc and gets his drugs from the VA is me..Although I have very good HMO insurance and use the VA for non-PC treatment
sometimes, all my PC relate drugs have been provided by the VA..I even get my lupron shots at my civilian hospital--For reasons which I won't go into, I am on a "fee-paid" basis for my PC even though I have and always have had private insurance..I wish you well Bud and in one of your last posts I noted that you still use the VA sometimes..Get well and keep thinking about Gigi--I am sure you have spoiled her by now--LOL
Bill